Weekly Liturgy : July 7-13
- Cory
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
Luke 10 : 25 - 37
NIV Translation
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30-31 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
REFLECTIONS
Thoughts from Cory:
"Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." The greatest and most important commandment in the Bible. Seems straightforward. "Yeah, but when you say 'neighbor' who really counts?" Is this question a way in or a way out? In other words, is the guy who asks Jesus this question looking for confirmation that he is already loving his neighbors? Or is he hoping that Jesus will confirm that there are some people out there, some political, religious, or cultural enemy, that we don't have to love?
We spend a lot of time and energy trying to figure out and trying to justify and prove to others that there are people who do not deserve to be in our circle of concern. "They are too (fill in the blank: conservative, liberal, rich, poor, etc)." What if we stopped doing that? What if we stopped trying to label people just so that we can decide whether it's okay to love them or not? What if we just figured out a way to say yes to loving our families, friends, political enemies, everybody that we cross paths with, anybody in need?
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Find 3 people to pay special attention to this week. Simply observe how they move through the world. At the end of this week, approach each person individually and share some of the goodness that you’ve found in them.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
Non Violent Communication is perpetually a project in sharing control of reality with other humans. It means working on letting people say “yes” or “no” at different times and toward different things than we would choose ourselves.
What is a word or phrase that helps you allow others to think and choose differently than yourself?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Asceticism (abstaining from comforts to make room for God):
Consider your relationship to anything comfortable (social media, TV, food, shopping, etc). Practice making each instance of indulgence one degree healthier this week!
Questions for Reflection
Who is the most challenging person to love in your world right now? Once does one additional ounce of grace and concern toward them look like in you? Can you move in that direction?
Who do you know what loves well, especially when it is hard to do so? What are one or two qualities from that person you would like to emulate?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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